Sunday, July 19, 2015

Book Review: New Rules of the Game – Susan Packard


If you’ve read any of my previous blogs you know that I often write about how books pick me to be read and not the other way around. Well a couple of months ago, I was perusing a local Indigo bookstore with my daughter and after she picked out a book, we went to the adult section as Mommy wanted a treat too!  With no particular topic in mind, I came across Susan Packard’s book, ‘New Rules of the Game’. The elegant and bold Queen Chess piece was staring at me, daring me to pick it up. And so I did. 

As a career-driven person, I’m always on the lookout for successful women and men, who are willing to share their stories because each one I read or listen to, irrespective of the field, helps me to understand myself better, my terrain, and the interaction of all these relationships.

The parallel of sports and business and how to transfer skill sets from the former to the latter is the crux of this book. There are so many overlays with sports and business that there are often water-cooler conversations about them. But to see the parallels succinctly laid out with examples, stories and an action plan tailored to a working woman, is what sets this book apart. 

The book eloquently articulates and reassures women that we don’t need to give up our femininity in order to rise up the ranks. If we strip out the emotion, think, train, and treat our workplace like a playing field where each day is game day, we can better navigate our career paths and move into leadership positions.

Ms. Packard is extremely candid.  She discusses a lot of the hypocrisies that exist, addresses them head on and offers strategies and tactics on how to stickhandle these issues. The book is filled with examples by numerous leaders, some of the sticky situations they were in and how they utilized their knowledge and gamesmanship to come out on top. 

I highly recommend this book to virtually anyone who cares about self-improvement and/or raising strong and mentally healthy children. There are so many take-aways, that you will need post-it notes and a highlighter!


I suppose in some small way my blog tries to achieve the same thing. My kittenheels are my go-to shoes because they are the perfect balance of femininity and pragmatism. It gives me the freedom to go in the direction of my dreams without having to go about it like one of the guys. We are different and we must be proud. We add a unique perspective that is rich and valuable. Let’s figure out the rules of the game, excel in it and then raise the bar!